Very true. But this is a Government - their ideas of the world and network effects are frozen in pre-Internet eras, at best. That is why, even though I feel and agree they have done more harm than good, I understand why they felt banning was the best way out.

I agree completely. However, given the Indian Government's precedents in dealing with such issues, a ban was the only way out before fringe crazies, especially now that the fringe crazies are from the party in power in the Government, would've just created a PR nightmare for the Govt. My point was that i understood why the Government executed such a move, not that i agreed with it.

I agree with you that the documentary does show the good things about Indian women's movements, however nascent. My point, however, was not to defend the government's actions - I actually think they did more harm than good, as you put it, by muzzling the documentary. I just wanted to bring across the point that, given Indian Governmental history and precedent in dealing with such issues, I can 'understand', not agree, why the Government behaved the way it did.

A very well made point and I agree, for the most part. Except that it is the Government's job to provide context - a foreign documentarian making a film on a sensitive subject and it is the responsibility of the Govt. to provide context before airing??

hahaha - spoken like a true champion of free speech. And no, i don't assume any kind of authority ( and neither am i comfortable with letting the government apportion itself this authority) to decide. I'm just saying that, whether or not i agree, i c
an understand why the Govt. has done this. My opinion is a separate matter :)

I don't really agree. Freedom of speech without context can very easily become demagoguery and, maybe not in mostly peaceful USA but in India at least, with sectarian, religious, and a hundred other forms of tensions simmering just below boiling, unrestricted freedom can be Very dangerous.

The incapacity for rational thought is implicit in our own people :). We are quite obsessed with how the world perceives us ( without actually bothering to find out if the world even cares :) ) and this, while extreme, is definitely a knee-jerk reaction. Also, just so that expectations are set right, India is nowhere near as liberal a society, media wise or otherwise, as our movies or urban conglomerations would have one believe.

I haven't seen the documentary yet but, as an Indian, I think the Govt. is trying to take it down to avoid the murderer/rapist and his equally bat-shit crazy lawyers' views to be aired as if they represented the majority view in India. Freedom of speech is fine but not without context, no? I already see comments where people are getting worried - safety is an issue for women, yes, and it IS a problem that needs to be solved but the rapist's comments do NOT indicate the views of most of India.

Most of us want to lock the guy up for all eternity and throw the key away. The crazy idiots who are supporting rape or talking against women are just that, crazy idiots, and do not represent the majority.

Yes, well said. All our languages are morphing now - and with most science being conducted in English, it actually is getting unwieldy to use the local language for scientific terms and, slowly, modern life. The English-local language blend is the future, methinks.

Well, I wouldn't say "shy away". For people in the South, Hindi is as alien as Sanskrit as a spoken language, in terms of usage. Of course, thats before the wall-to-wall 500 channel cable revolution in the late 90s.

And I'm sure its true with the Bengalis, Oriyas, Gujaratis and Marathis, too.

It was one of the few books that had me up all night till i finished it. Unputdownable: not only for the clever engineering angles with very few deux machina moments but also for the irreverent, wisecracking tone of the protagonist. Truly something I wish I had the wit, presence of mind and equanimity to do even back here on Earth. :)

Haha. Totally agree - the product review from Mars was pure comedy gold. I loved that the book, in the midst of having me on the edge of my seat at 2am trying to find out how the hero would solve his latest problem, could also have me in splits reading about his reactions to being stranded with just Disco music or wisecracks about his situation. Fantastic read!

Fantastic post. I didn't really follow /r/TheRedPill until today ( idle thought: maybe your post's popularity has increased their subscribers - talk of unintended consequences) but your eloquent and well-reasoned post about life and relationships are rooted in real-life sense AND a sense of fairness and a desire to see and treat humans as better than mere biological lab entities that can be conditioned to behave in a certain way for one's pleasure. I can't give you enough kudos for recognising that "both" sides of a relationship have needs, wants, fears AND weaknesses. Your SO is a lucky person, that's all I can say. Have a great life!